Residents Supportive Of Mall Plans

State Senator Fred Strahorn (center) listens along with Trotwood residents as consultants explain conceptual plans for the former Salem Mall site.

By Bruce Kettelle

About 180 residents eager to hear about plans for the site of the former Salem Mall came to the Trotwood High school Monday night. Mayor Darryl Davis, City Manager Mike Lucking and a team of economic development professionals laid out the details for two hours and took questions for another hour.

“That’s what we want, a multi-prong approach, not just retail,” said resident Adrienne Heard who also runs a management consulting business in town. “I like the greenspace public area, the public area is what I liked about the Salem Mall,” she said after the presentation.

The concept plan includes about 8 acres of open greenspace that could include a performance stage, space for a farmers market or any combination of other events and gatherings that can help make the site a destination.

The study accomplished by The Stonehenge Company and Bird Houk Collaborative for the city intends to guide the next phase to include more specific design guidelines and identifying specific initial tenants for the central Salem Avenue location. The concept is to integrate retail, offices, housing, and other services to give the initiative a longer lifecycle than a typical retail only development.

“Projects like this take a long time,” said Stonehenge president Mo Dioun. He cited a similar project that has been in the works for three and a half years and recently decided to delay another nine months due to the economy. “Without public support of the city council this will not happen.”

He looks to establish synergy between the public needs and the private developers he describes as “selfless thoughts and actions” that benefit both. The plan depends on creating a destination that engages a sense of ownership for residents.

Dioun stressed that there are 500 regional malls in the US undergoing similar dramatic change and applauded the city’s efforts to be proactive.

Lucking introduced additional experts being utilized by the city including a DC lobbyist who helped bring a $1-million federal budget earmark for Salem Av street work, global technology experts, an economic development consultant, and experts on emerging environmental technologies.

“I appreciate we are using experts and asking for community input,” said Heard.

Timothy Cargle, another local business owner was hopeful the plan could lead to success for the city. “To a greater degree it’s confirmation of economic development,” he said. “I believe companies will come here if they sense an opportunity to grow.”

There were questions from about 10 audience members. Most sounded positive about the concepts and tried to pin the consultants down on more specific timelines.

Timelines and more detailed design specifics will come in the next phase said Jim Houk president of Bird Houk Collaborative. He assured that phase would include additional community input. The city council will be facing the decision whether or not to proceed very soon.

Mall Concept Plans At High School Tonight

Trotwood residents are invited to have a first look at the city’s preliminary plans for the former Salem Mall site in the high school auditorium from 5-7pm today.

Nearly a year in the works with an outside consultant and a working group of 13 residents, city officials are now turning to the public for their comments on the draft concepts. The Stonehenge Group will help to explain the proposed road network and mix of commercial, residential and office uses they hope the plan will attract. At the center of their concept is a large greenspace area to host a variety of events from farmer's markets to concerts.

The idea of having a central attraction in the plan has been successful in other cities. By offering more than just retail stores the hope is to create a long term solution in the heart of Trotwood’s Salem Avenue corridor.

Residents will have the opportunity to make suggestions on the conceptual plan. For more information contact the Trotwood city manager’s office at 854-7213.

Dayton Cheerleaders Preach To Choir

By Bruce Kettelle

The Dayton Region Rally Tuesday afternoon at UD Arena to celebrate the area’s opportunities and initiatives for growing jobs lived up to it’s name. An elaborate multi-media presentation by a mix of business, arts, and leisure leaders delivered like cheerleaders for the home team touted many success stories and a glimpse of Dayton’s future.

Among the audience estimated between 1,500 and 2,000 were few new faces yet to be converted. Plenty of regular Dayton optimists were on hand however and welcomed the chance to be reinvigorated anew as Dayton tries to capitalize on its many successes to attract new innovation and the jobs that come with it.

Much of the presentation was not particularly new news. What made the event special was the magnitude of the combined regional efforts aimed at economic development. And of course the elegant presentation of videos and slides on three big screens and the occasional interaction with the audience culminating with 40 geared up sports enthusiasts riding bikes, carrying kayaks and wearing hiking gear during the Five Rivers MetroParks address.

Besides Dayton there were initiative presentations from Springfield, Troy, and Yellow Springs. Each booster pitched their special brands and how they turn those into success. Missing was any mention of the inner ring suburbs which are critical to any discussion of Dayton.

In a jab at the city responsible for luring away NCR earlier this year Downtown Dayton Coalition President Jim Leftwich cited the area’s abundant water supply for companies that depend on inexpensive water. “We’re going to take our water story to Atlanta and recruit companies to move to Dayton Ohio,” he said to cheers.

Other examples during the 2-hour event were less specific and hinged on Dayton being a great place to live, work and play.

What did show was the earnest commitment everyone involved is giving to help Dayton prosper. The message to coax more of the 900,000 residents of the Miami Valley to get on board came through loud and clear. When that happens Dayton will be unstoppable.

Some of the presenters at the rally from left: Mike Erwin, Co-chair Greater Downtown Dayton Plan; Sean Creighton, Dayton Create; Theresa Gasper, Dayton Create; Pat Meadows, Exec Dir National Council on Community and Justice; Allen Elijah, President United Way; Kelly Kirsch, Dir of Marketing LGT Materials; Dr David Hopkins, President Wright State; Joe Sciabica, Exec Dir Air Force Research Laboratory; Stacia Edwards, Director Regional Workforce Transformation Consortium; Bruce Langos, COO Teradata Corporation; lucky audience member that almost won a car shooting a basket; and Lisa Hunt, Yellow Springs Arts Council.

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Kayakers, bicyclists, hikers, fishermen and more came through the audience to highlight the offerings of Five Rivers MetroParks.

Three Trotwood City Levies Pass, Schools Rejected Again

By Bruce Kettelle

Several Trotwood precincts were late being counted Tuesday delaying the outcomes of several close races. With the last precinct tabulated at 12:30 AM Wednesday both the Trotwood EMS and Fire issues were approved, one street levy passes and the incumbent city council members were re-elected to new four-year terms.

"We have to be very excited that they won," said fire chief Gene Lutz as he watched levy results roll in at the firehouse on Little Richmond Rd. "We can continue to provide this level of service and replace outdated equipment." The EMS renewal levy is passing with 66.4% of the vote. The fire equipment additional levy was much closer with 51.1% of the vote.

The Trotwood street department will have some new money for next year. Voters gave 51.6% approval to funding for street maintenance including additional salt supplies for snow and ice control in the winter. But the request to fund other expenses including leaf pick up only attracted a 39.7% approval leaving this category unfunded for next year.

"We worked very hard for this," said public works director Thomas Odenigbo. "It must be what the residents want and I'll live with it." Supporters of the street levy were gathered at the community center in Sycamore Woods.

A complication in the ballot language for the second street levy left some voters confused. One unidentified voter in ward three said he thought the wording was so vague that it sounded like a general fund levy. He said he voted no and thought others might have mistakenly done the same.

The Trotwood-Madison City Schools will be waking up today to the failure of their second levy attempt. They are trying to raise additional operating funds for the first time since the early 1990s. Even though the district reduced the request this year only 41% of the voters agreed with yesterday's 7.5-mill attempt.

Last years 9.06-mill levy received a slightly higher percentage at 44.6. During that 2008 Presidential election 71% of Trotwood’s voters turned out to the polls.

School supporters gathered at the former Moto Photo headquarters lamented that this will mean cuts in the 2010-2011 budget. "The board will have to make cuts in academics, extracurricular, and bussing," said assistant superintendent Rexanne Wagner. "They will feel the cuts."

Three school board members were reelected to four-year terms. Deborah Daniels, Teena Davis and Denise Moore ran unopposed.

There was competition for three of the four city council seats. Rap Hankins narrowly retained his seat in a heated race from newcomer Janice Chinn. Chinn centered her campaign on the failure of city council to raise objections over the new Greyhound Bus terminal opening last month on Shiloh Springs Rd. Hankins pulled 807 votes to Chinn's 774 in the Ward 2 race.

Joyce Sutton Cameron (Ward 1) and Mary McDonald (Ward 4) easily kept their council seats with 61% and 62% affirmations. Cameron received 1,103 votes to Mattie Clay's 703. McDonald captured 545 votes to J.D. Williams II's 333.

Ron Vaughn ran unopposed in Ward 3.

Trotwood's turnout was a little heavier than usual off-year elections. A total of 6,103 voters came to the polls, a 33% turnout. The highest turnout is Ward 3 with 36% and the lowest is Ward 4 with 29%.

Trotwood Voter Turnout Higher Than Expected

Trotwood voters poured out to the polls today in larger numbers than expected. By 3pm most polls acknowledged a 25% turnout. A Late day surge boosted that number and two locations exceeded 50%.

Voters were inspired by different issues. Some said they were there because of one of the state issues. Others indicated they were motivated by specific county and local levies on the ballot as the most important reason for coming out.

At issue in Trotwood are three city council seats, two fire levies, two street levies, and the Trotwood Madison school levy. Totally Trotwood will post the final Trotwood results later tonight.